[Topeka Capital-Journal] Former Chiefs’ quarterback Rich Gannon officially retired from the Oakland Raiders on Saturday after missing most of last season with a broken vertebra in his neck.
Now, he’s headed to the broadcast booth.
The 39-year-old quarterback, supported by about a dozen teammates and several coaches, announced his decision at the team’s wine country training facility; it had been expected for months.
“As far as the decision to retire, it was an easy one for me,” Gannon said, sitting alongside Al Davis and coach Norv Turner. “It really was not my decision. I was not able to continue to play physically. That really takes all the guess work out of it for a player like myself, who still feels that he’s got enough left in his tank and enough left in his arm and his legs to continue to play.”
Gannon threw for 28,743 yards and 180 touchdowns in his career with Minnesota, Washington, Kansas City and Oakland. He passed for 4,689 yards and 26 touchdowns while completing more than 67 percent of his passes in his MVP season and made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. Twice he was MVP of the Pro Bowl.
